Auxiliary gasoline supply for automobiles



July 14, 1925.

C. R. ASKREN ET AL AUXILIARY GASOLINE SUPPLY FOR AUTOMOBILES Lee E016 Filed Nov. 4,

Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CRAIG R. A-SKREN, OF MORAN, WYOMING, AND LEE ECK, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO EUGENE W. 'WAY, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

AUXILIARY GASOLINE SUPPLY on AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed November To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CRAIG R. AsKREN and LEE Eon, citizens of the United States of America, and residents 'of Moran, Teton County, Wyoming, and Seattle, King County, .lVashington, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Auxiliary Gasoline Supplies for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in auxiliary gasoline supply means particularly intended for automobiles.

The principal object of our invention is to provide means whereby, when the normal gasoline feed fails to function by reason of tilting upward of the front end of the car, an auxiliary or emergency means automatically comes into action, and continues, up to the limit of its capacity, so long as'the car remainstilted upward, and which then automatically ceases to function as the main gasoline supply again begins to function and again replenishes its own supply.

Other objects, particularly such as relate to structural details, may be ascertained from a study of the following specification and the claims terminating the same, and of the accompanying drawings.

Our invention comprises the novel parts and arrangements thereof which are shown in the accompanying drawings, described in the specification and particularly defined by the claims terminating the same.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown. our invention in the form and arrangement which is now preferred by us.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a car employing a gravity feed, shown going up anincline.

Figure 2 is a transverse section through a frame member, illustrating our emergency supply means in end elevation.

' Figure 3 is an elevation and partial section through a simple automatic control means. 7

Automobiles such as the Ford, in which gasoline is fed by gravity from a main sup-' 4, 1922. Serial No. 599,002.

main supply tank is located behind and above the carburetor intake, to normally supply gasoline to the carburetor, which is the motor gasoline'intake, by gravity. The sec 0nd or auxiliary tank is located at a level too low to feed to the carburetor by gravity normally, when the car is on a level, and forward of the carburetor. At least, it is well below the normal level of gasoline in the. main tank. Each of these tanks is connected to the carburetor and to each other The auxiliary tank, by reason of its normal low position relative to both the main tank and carburetor, will normally be kept filled from the main tank, and will not feed into the carburetor. When the vehicle is tilted upward at such a steep angle that themain tank, which is rearward of the carburetor,

lies below the level thereof, the auxiliary tank, being forward of the carburetor, is raised above the level of the carburetor. The

gasoline in the auxiliary tank will thereupon feed by gravity to the carburetor. We provide also means to prevent back flow from the carburetor or auxiliary tank to the temporarily lower main tank.

In Figure 1 we have illustrated, in connec tion with an automobile, the main gasoline supply tank 1 under the front seat, this being connected by the conduit 10. to the intake 21 of the carburetor 2.. So long as the automobile is substantially on a level gaso line from the tank 1 will flow to the carburetor with sufficient force, for all points of the gasoline tank are then above the carburetor, as indicated by the dot. and dash line A, representing a horizontal line through the bottom of the gasoline tank when the car is level. When the car is tilted on an incline such as shown in Figure 1, however, a horizontal line B through a partiallyfilled tank passes beneaththe carbul Ll rector intake 21. Unless the gas is at an appreciably higher level than the intake 21 it will fail to flow under such conditions.

The auxiliary gas tank 3 is positioned forward of the intake 21 and when the car is level about at the'height of the intake, preferably somewhat lower, but in any event, somewhat lower than the bottom of the main tank 1. A conduit 30 connects'this tank 3 to the intake 21. A vent pipe 31- may be provided for exhaustingair from the upper portion of the tank 3'. The tank 3 being under average conditions lower than the tank 1, it is kept filled therefrom.

The two tanksl and '3 are connected by reason ofthe connection of the conduits andBOto a common point. This 'is best accomplished by means of a T fitting 1, to opposite branches of which the delivery end ofeachv of the conduits. 10 and '30 are connected; The lateral branch 11 is connected directly to thecarburetorintake 21. Vithin the l -fitting 1- is provided a valve seat 1 2, and a ball 44: or other suitable check valve is positioned to seat, as at 42, against a return flow from the carburetor to the mainsupply tank 1, thereby to cut off the main supply from the carburetor and from "the auxiliary tank 3, should there be any tendency for thegasoline in either to flow I back to themain supply tank. A pin 43 or other equivalent means maybe provided: to limitthe movement of the ball 4 1 towards the conduit and prevents this conduit, ,beingrclose'doff at any time.

It will be seen that when the car is on the level'or running down hill the auxillary 1 tank 3 isconstantlykeptfull from the main .tankal: When the. car reaches a sufficient upwardincli-ne back flow to the main supply tank. 1 tends to'occur, and the ball 1 1 tends toaclose oiffiow from: theinain tank 1,but ifthe hill is not steep or ifthe' supply in the tank is at ahigh. level, the pressure of the. gasoline. from the main tank 1 ;will overcome theback flow tendency, and will not permit the valve 4-4 to seat. However, if the hill is sufliciently steep theintake 21 will beraised above the level of gasoline in the tank :1, when the valve i4: will seat, and the'tank. 3 will commence to feed through theconduit 3Q, the-fitting 4 and its branch 4-1, to the intake-.21, I

The tank '3A is made ofsufiicient capacity to carry thercargup an ordinary hill. In most cases a tank containing. a quart or more, of gasolineqwillibe sufficient. Such a small tank can be secured in anysuitable ,manner within the car, andwe have shown it-as formed: of a size to fit between the flanges 7 frame or. chassis;

of the channel .S forming. part of the car In Ford automobiles a bolt, 51 passing through the chassis a short distance in advance of the carburetor 2 forms a convenient support for one end of the tank 3, and a strap, as 35, may be secured to an end of the tank and looped to receive the bolt 51. V

lVhat we claim as our invention is:

1. In an automobile, in combination with the motor gasoline intake, a gravity feed tank rearward of and normally above said intake, an auxiliary gasoline supply tank located forward of' andnorma'lly below said intake, and connections betaveeir each of said tanks and the intake.

In'an' automobile, in combination with the motor gasoline intake, a gravity feed tank rearward of and normally above said intake, an auxiliary gasoline tank forward of and normally below said intake, connections bet-ween each of said tanksand the intake, the level of said tanks being such, relativevtothe intake and the longitudinal plane of the car, that elevation of the front end, ofthe car will raise the auxiliary tank to such a level that-it will feed to the carburetorby gravity when the 'main tank is lowered to a level where it ceases to feed y e a y- 3. In an automobile, in combination with the motor gasoline intake,- a gravity feed tank rearward ofiand normally above'said intake, an auXiliar gasoline supply tank located forward. of, andnormally below said intake, and connections between each ofsaid tanks. and the intake, and acheckvalve in the connection between tlie main tank and the intake, and operable to prevent back flow into the main; tank.

4:. In an automobile, in combination with the. motor gasolineintake, agravity' feed gasoline supply tank rearward of and normally above said intake, an auxiliary gaso line su ply tank located for-ward of and normally,belowjsaid intake, a conduit connecting, said; tanks and connected between its ends to said intake, and means in said conduit permitting feed from the niain tank at all'tim'es to the auxiliary tank and to the intake, and operable, when the auxiliary tank israised to feed into the intake, 'to prevent flow therefrom into the main tank.

5. A gasoline supplysystem' forautomobiles comprising, a main gasoline tankpositioned to normally feed by -gravity to the carburetor, an emergency t'ank havin'g' a free flow connection withthe carburetor intake and positioned to normally be filled from the main tank and not rotted byggravity to the carburetor intake, and to be raised by the raising of the forward'endlof the automobile: to a l level to automatically feed by gravity to the carburetor intake 6. A gasoline supply system for automobile engines comprismga main tankjloca'ted connecting the main tank-with the carburetor intake and with the auxiliary tank and for the latter acting both as supply and discharge pipe, and a check valve in said pipe between the carburetor intake and the main tank placed to prevent back flow to the main tank.

7 The combination with a gravity gasoline feed for automobiles of an auxiliary tank in communication with the carburetor feed supply and below the carburetor just enough to normally prevent gravity feed thereto, and means for cutting ofi' the supply connection from the carburetor to the normal source of supply.

8. A gasoline supply system for internal combustion engines comprising two tanks located one forwardly of and below the carburetor and the other above and rearwardly of the carburetor, said tanks being normally in free communication with each other and with the carburetor, and means for preventing back flow to that tank which is normally above the carburetor.

9. A gasoline supply system for internal combustion engines comprising two supply tanks normally in free communication with each other and with the carburetor, one of said tanks being located above and the other below the carburetor level when the engine is in normal level position, and a check valve preventing back flow from the carburetor to the tank which is normally above the carburetor level.

Signed at Seattle, King County, VVashington, this 27th day of October, 1922.

CRAIG R. ASKREN. LEE ECK. 

